On this feast of feasts, the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, we greet all of our readers, visitors and supporters with the glorious day of Resurrection. As we celebrate this sacred day of promise, renewal and hope we take prayerful time to be thankful for the gift of eternal life that Christ has given us. Having endured the passion and crucifixion, Christ has risen from the dead bestowing the fullness of life upon His creation.

We rejoice and celebrate this gift with our loved ones and as the Canon at the Matins of Pascha – Easter – proclaims, in honor of the Resurrection we forgive all and embrace all, even those who hate us. We hope that you are able to celebrate the feast in solace and great joy. Even if you celebrate alone, without being surrounded by loved ones, know that you are never truly alone. We greet everyone with a holy kiss and the resounding words of Christ is Risen – Indeed He is Risen! We especially hold dear to us those who are persecuted and reviled because of who they are – lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered. We especially hold dear to us those who live in great fear, worried that the love they share will cause them to be rejected by their parents, their family, the Church or their society. This includes members of the hierarchy, clergy and all faithful.

On this feast of feasts because Christ has destroyed death, we ask “O Death, where is your sting? (I Corinthians 15:55) As LGBTQ Christians along with those who understand, love and support us we also ask – “O hatred and rejection, where is your sting?” We exult in the love of God for His creation and remain people of hope.

LOL You forgot the Polish, there has been Orthodox communities in Poland since Kyrl & Methodius (Кѷриллъ и Меѳодїи), some Russian, some Ukrainian, some Lemkian and some just Polish…….His Beatitude Sawa (Sava) has been trying to unite them all. There has been much intrigue about all this.

Chrystus zmartwychwstał ! Rzeczywiście zmartwychwstał!

I have the Divine Liturgy of Chrysostom in Polish. Too bad the descendents of the Polish Orthodox in this country are on to other things…………

andre Said,

Thank you for your comment. Indeed I did not include Polish and should have. I have visited Poland several times and stayed with Archbishop Abel, whom I have known since before he was a bishop. I have also spent time in the monastery at Jablecznej. So, I should have known better.
Next year….
I bid you peace.
Andriy

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